TORONTO – From September 15 to October 26, 2014, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour inspectors conducted a workplace enforcement blitz in several industrial sectors across the province, including transportation.

From September 15 to October 26, 2014, ministry inspectors conducted 841 visits to 701 workplaces and issued 3,263 orders under the OHSA and its regulations, which included 130 stop work orders.

As of December 19, 2014, 75 percent of the orders had been complied with, but The number of orders issued per workplace was slightly higher than previous blitzes in the industrial sector.

What the Ministry found was that workers are at risk of injuries or pain in the body’s joints, ligaments, muscles, nerves, tendons, and structures that support limbs, neck and back when handling, moving and storing materials in workplaces. In 2012, 39 percent of all lost-time injuries involved the injuries listed above, according to the government.

Incidents often involve being struck by or hitting objects and equipment – accounting for over 26 percent of compensation claims from workers whose injuries resulted in them missing time at work.

Together, these two types of injuries have consistently accounted for almost 70 percent of all lost time at work.

The most frequently issued orders involved employers’ failure to:

• Maintain equipment, materials and protective devices in good condition (8.15 percent of orders issued);
• Ensure that lifting devices are examined annually to determine their capability to lift their maximum load as rated (5.79 percent of orders issued);
• Take reasonable precautions for the protection of workers 5.18 percent of orders issued).

Inspection blitzes are part of the province’s Safe At Work Ontario compliance strategy and are announced to the sector by the ministry in advance, although individual workplaces to be visited by inspectors are not identified in advance.

The blitz specifically targeted workplaces with a high incidence of lost-time injuries, not previously visited by the ministry, where complaints have been received or where there is a history of non-compliance.

Sector rankings 

From safest to least safe:

1. Industrial Services, with 33 workplaces visited, 91 orders issued, averaging 2.7 orders issued per workplace;

2. Transportation, with 24 workplaces visited, 74 orders issued, averaging 3.0 orders per workplace;

3. Retail, with 148 workplaces visited, 553 orders issued, averaging 3.7 orders per workplace;

4. Textiles and Printing, with 14 workplaces visited, 54 orders issued, averaging 3.8 orders per workplace;

5. Food, Beverage and Tobacco, with 36 workplaces visited, 141 orders issued, averaging 3.9 orders per workplace;

6. Chemical, Rubber and Plastics, with 49 workplaces visited, 220 orders issued, averaging 4.4 orders per workplace;

7. Ceramics, Glass and Stone, with 18 workplaces visited, 88 orders issued, averaging 4.8 orders per workplace;

8. Wholesalers (includes Building Supply Centres), with 94 workplaces visited, 461 orders issued, averaging 4.9 orders per workplace;

9. Pulp and Paper, with nine workplaces visited, 48 orders issued, averaging 5.3 orders per workplace;

10. Construction Premises, with nine workplaces visited, 49 orders issued, averaging 5.4 orders per workplace;

11. Vehicle Sales and Service, with 26 workplaces visited, 146 orders issued, averaging 5.6 orders per workplace;

12. Wood and Metal Fabrication, with 119 workplaces visited, 687 orders issued, averaging 5.7 orders per workplace;

13. Automotive, with 25 workplaces visited, 197 orders issued, averaging 7.8 orders per workplace.